


Home Again

by SenkouSimmer



Series: Home [2]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-06-28 19:10:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15713316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SenkouSimmer/pseuds/SenkouSimmer
Summary: After joining the noah, Allen struggles with accepting them as his family and fighting off his own noah. Meanwhile, the Earl is the puppeteer, manipulating the boy's personality into changing more than ever before with only a few simple commands and a secret, well-thought plot.





	1. Home Again

 

**Tyki's POV**

"Ahh, the smell of low class humans", Tyki sighed joyfully as they stepped out of the ark and began walking toward a coffee shop. He smiled and looked down at the boy, who only furrowed his brows irritably and "tch"ed, in response to the taller man's comment.

"What? You don't agree?" Tyki frowned and lit a cigarette. "Huh, I thought for sure we were cut from the same cloth, boy."

"Not even close", Allen spat, irritably.

"Aw... What's got you in such a fowl mood? I would've thought you'd be happy to finally step out of the ark and mingle with your own kind." Without letting the ex-exorcist respond, he shrugged and ended his passive-aggressive taunt with a sarcastic, "Huh. Guess I was wrong."

The boy looked at the ocean, hiding his face from the noah. "Yeah, you are", he muttered.

The noah looked down at the white head of hair as his heart sunk into his stomach.  _What's wrong_ , he wondered to himself.  _It can't be that he's upset that he turned on his friends - he seemed fine earlier. Maybe something happened...?_

The noah felt someone bump into him but he stood his ground, turning his attention to the man in from of him who was falling on his backside. "You idiot", the man growled, standing and rubbing his bottom. "Watch where you're going! I could've gotten seriously hurt!"

The corner of Tyki's mouth twitched and he grabbed the man by his collar. "You know", he smiled. "It's polite to apologize once you've bumped into someone, rather than accusing the other." He dropped his smile and looked at the man with an innocent expression, knowing full well that the man knew he had anything but innocent intentions.

He fazed his arm through the man's chest and wrapped his hand around his heart, still holding the cigarette in said hand. "You weren't looking where you were going either, right? And doesn't that make you equally sinful, old man?"

"What are you doing", the man screeched, struggling like a wild animal to get out of Tyki's grasp.

"Oh? Now, what does it look like? I'm taking your life as an apology."

Just as he allowed the cigarette to drop onto the man's heart and he began screaming in agony, Allen pushed him away from the noah, screaming, "Tyki!" He got down to the ground and propped the old man up on his lap, watching him writhe in pain with worry filling his eyes.

After the shock wore off, Tyki lowered his blood-tipped and gloved hand to his side and glared at the boy.  _Who does he think he is? If only I didn't care about this idiot, then I could just..._

As the boy attempted to soothe the old fart, the taller man clenched his hands into fists, attempting to keep his noah from overtaking him. Attempting to keep the  _anger_  from overtaking him.  _No... I don't want to hurt him..._

* * *

  **Allen's POV**

The old man pushed Allen away roughly, sending him to the ground. He stood up and scurried away, keeping his face toward the noah until he was at a far enough distance, then turning and running frantically.

"Why did you stop me", Tyki growled. When Allen looked up, he was genuinely surprised to see that a shadow covered the taller man's eyes. He was angry and Allen could see that just by the man's body language, even without seeing his eyes.

 _Normally it takes a lot to make him angry, yet he's angry over this? I should be the angry one!_ And angry he was, as he stood from the ground and closed the distance between them, causing the noah to lift his glare to his shorter friend. "Why did you try to kill him?! Because he bumped into you?! Because he yelled at you?!"

"Because he tried to walk all over me. So, why did you let him walk all over you? It made you look weak. It made  _me_  look weak."

Allen lifted his hand and reached to slap the noah across the face but froze in his stance once he read the threat in the man's glare and remembered the last time he'd actually gone through with slapping him.

The noah had broken his hand, twisting his wrist until it became unusable.  _Would he do the same now, despite us being on the same side? I don't want to find out... it isn't worth it... The pain... would he take my innocence like he did before...?_

He "tch"ed once more and turned on his heel, ignoring the noah's footsteps which followed behind him and the humans who stood and stared at the arguing couple.  _We are not the same._

* * *

  **Tyki's POV**

The aggravated two sat across from each other at a table outside of a coffee shop, drinking coffee while glaring at the waters across the busy path beside them. For quite awhile, they took turns sending glares across the table and looking back before the other could make eye contact.

Tyki would glare at Allen quickly, then looking back at the water. He'd then feel the boy's glare on him for a split second before it vanished and they repeated the same routine for what felt like hours.

Eventually, Tyki put his cup down and huffed out a slightly irritable sigh.  _I can't stay mad at the boy... This is childish._ He put on his usual nonchalant grin and faced his love, putting his elbows on the table and propping his head up with his folded hands. "It really  _is_  nice out - I'm glad we came."

In response, the white-haired one only "hmph"ed and took a sip, not even bothering to look the noah in the eye.

Tyki closed his eyes and groaned, slouching slightly and allowing the corners of his lips to drop.  _Why is he so angry_ , he mentally screamed.  _I should be the one who's angry!_

He opened his eyes and spoke in that passive-aggressive teasing tone he loved to use, when the boy was angry with him. "Come now, boy. I've already forgiven you, so shouldn't we let it go?"  _There isn't even the slightest chance that I'd ever apologize when I was the one who was wronged._

Of course, that seemed to really set the boy off. He slammed his cup down and glared at up at Tyki with gritted teeth for a split second before shouting, "How am  _I_  in need of forgiveness?!"

Tyki opened his mouth to defend himself but stopped the instant he caught sight of two people walking towards them in black and red coats. He snapped his mouth shut before reopening it just to mutter one word, grabbing the attention of his fuming friend: "Exorcists."


	2. Traipsing Down a Bloody Path

* * *

**Tyki's POV**

"So, boy, do you intend to join this time or hide in the shadows until things get rough? You know, I'm still a bit weak from the last encounter we had with the exorcists." He held his chest, giving Allen that dramatic look of his that he always gave when he was pretending to be more hurt than he actually was. The boy was unfazed, though, and continued to drink his tea with his eyes closed, though he'd open them long enough to stare at the liquid once the cup was at a far enough distance from his mouth for him to see it clearly.

Tyki sighed heavily in defeat before standing up, grabbing the attention of the ex-exorcist. "Alright, I guess I'll handle this by myself." As he walked by, he brushed his hand through the boy's hair, receiving a swat and an aggravated growl in response. By the time he reached the exorcists, they had already drawn their weapons and activated them, but they stood and watched him, probably waiting to see what he would do; waiting for him to make the first move.

The noah took off his gloves and put them in his pocket, sighing as though this were the most tiresome of work. Of course, it was when he had to go to great lengths for the Earl. And this time, the Earl definitely wanted him to go to great lengths to... well... that one's a secret.

"I remember you", Tyki exclaimed dramatically.  _That's the newer exorcist... the one who was a normal human the last time I'd encountered him. Chaozii, right?_ "What's your name, exorcist?"

"Like I'd tell you", Chaozii barked, launching himself at his enemy with furious eyes. He attempted to punch the noah with his arm of innocence but Tyki, swift as always, moved his head slightly to the side just in time to avoid the blow. He then allowed the exorcist's innocenceless body to phase through him and go rolling behind him.  _Oh, right, I'm supposed to hold back, aren't I?_

"Alright", the noah groaned, noting that the boy had been watching them carefully from the cafe. He opened his arms and hid his black matter, making himself vulnerable to even a human's touch. "Have at me."

From behind, he felt Chaozii's fist in his back just as the female exorcist before him hit him in his chest with her innocence hammer. This exorcist was also new. The combined forces crushed his insides until he cried out in pain and spit blood from his mouth. It covered the girl in front of him and poured over his chin and chest. Once they backed away, he collapsed to the ground.

He moved no bone as he looked at the boy and was slightly ticked when he realized that he hadn't moved.  _He's just not going to help me?!_  "Shounen", he began to shout, but stopped when he caught sight of the hammer in front of him, heading straight for his face.  _The Earl's demands are so unreasonable..._

* * *

**Tyki's POV (Flashback)**

Tyki lay on his bed with an unnecessary amount of pillows due to Sheryl's overbearing - and slightly disturbing - brotherly love and worry. Allen sat at the bottom of the bed, eating crackers in silence, when the Earl and Road came bursting through the door, causing the white-haired one to choke. Tyki calmly lowered his soup-filled spoon to the bowl and sighed heavily.  _This could only mean trouble..._ "Earl?"

"Tyki- _pet_ ~! I want to speak to you alone. Road, please take the fourteenth to another room - this is private~!"

"Aww, okay", she groaned. She immediately lifted her face and ran to the boy, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him toward the door, giggling flirtatiously, much to Tyki's dismay. "Come on, _Allen_ ~! Let's go play in my room!"

As the ex-exorcist shouted his protests, she dragged him out and slammed the door behind him. The two left in the room could hear the others for several seconds, even though it was clear that they were far away from the room, by then.  _I don't envy you, boy..._  After the sweat on his brow cleared, Tyki turned to the Earl and asked with a more serious tone, "What is it that you wanted to say, Lord Millennium?" He drooped slightly and whined childishly in the hopes that the clown would lighten up, some. "Don't tell me that I'm in trouble - it wasn't my fault!"

That got him. The Earl laughed heartily and patted Tyki on the head. "No, no, my boy. I actually have a task for you."

"So soon? But I'm so injured", he pouted, cradling his chest.

"Nice try, Tyki Mikk, but I know you aren't hurt." Although the Earl was speaking seriously, he sounded almost joyful and playful.  _I'm glad he's feeling better._ "Don't forget, I have eyes everywhere and I know that it'll take more than that samurai's sword to seriously damage you."

"Yeah, yeah", Tyki groaned. "So what do you want?"

"Which do you think Allen Walker is? A human, an exorcist, or a noah?"

The younger one put his hand on his chin as he thought carefully. He hadn't really considered it, before.  _Aren't humans and exorcists the same thing? Though, I guess they aren't... But he has that innocence, which makes him an exorcist... yet he also has black matter...?_ He looked up from his cloud of thought to spot the first apostle turning his head comically in a questioning gesture. "He's all of the above, isn't he?"

"In his mind, he is a human. And humans need to be casually led, like sheep by a shepherd. They can be easily manipulated, but only by using their instincts to your advantage."

Anger filled the noah at the possible implication and he frowned, clenching his hands into fists. "You want me to manipulate him? To do what? You know, he isn't like most humans, he may catch on-"

"I want you to be injured, Tyki Mikk."


	3. Betrayal Breeds Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late upload! I have such a bad habit of putting things off....

**Allen's POV**

He heard the noah scream his name with sincere trepidation and looked back just in time to spot a female exorcist bash his face in with the hammer. Well, not literally. The blow to his face sent him flying backwards and he lay in a heap on the ground, spitting blood onto the pavement. Humans around them watched in disbelief as the woman drew her hammer high above her head and Chaozii pulled his fist back, ready to hit the noah.

 _What do I do_ , Allen panicked. _I don't want to hurt them!_

He stood to call for Chaozii and the female exorcist but was cut off by the sounds of angry yelling, coming from behind him. A large group of police officers came armed with guns and clearly ready to apprehend either the noah or himself.  _I don't have time to weigh my options!_

He leapt to the noah and used his partially-learned black matter to throw the woman and Chaozii to the side, hoping to buy himself some time. They came right back, though, along with the police, who shot bullet after bullet at him. The only thing keeping him from being seriously wounded was his crown cloak and even that was starting to weaken with all of the damage he was taking. He knew he was running out of time when he, himself, began spitting blood onto Tyki's chest. _"Choose"_ , the voice inside his head whispered.

Allen grit his teeth and buried his face into the noah's chest in the hopes that no one would hear or see him cry. He allowed his crown clown and dark matter to stab repeatedly and randomly, making sure to pierce through their eyes and skulls as he sobbed wretchedly.

The noah wrapped his arms around him and covered the pale head of hair with his chin, being careful not to put his limbs in the line of fire. As the bodies dropped to the ground, the ex-exorcist lowered his cloak but kept it activated as he continued to cry, all the while trying to ignore the stares the remaining humans gave him.

"Let's go home, _Shounen_ ", Tyki whispered into his ear. For once, he sounded genuinely sympathetic and worried.

Allen understood the implication and opened a gate below them, to the ark. As they sunk through the door, he repeated in his head, as though to reach beyond the grave simply by thinking it many times, _I'm sorry_.

* * *

 

**Tyki's POV**

Allen fell on top of the noah, in the white ark, and sobbed into his chest. For several moments they sat like that before Tyki decided to attempt to move the boy. _The exorcists still use this ark. It's too dangerous to sit here, waiting for the boy to cheer up. We need to move._

He stood up, lifting the boy with him, and fully expecting him to kick and scream in protest, being as independent as he is. The taller one was astonished to feel the boy's legs wrap around him and his nose digging into his neck. _He must be really broken, to allow me to carry him. Earl... why?_

He walked through a random door, landing them in the dark ark. As he walked down the path, to Allen's room, he stared at the ruby necklace on his pale, yet blood stained neck.

"Why didn't you defend yourself?"

The muffled croak nearly scared the noah out of his shoes. After recovering, his heart sunk into his chest with regret. _Maybe I shouldn't have done as the Earl asked. Though, the consequences would more than likely be far worse than this, had I not..._

In an attempt to mask his worry and guilt, he laughed, though a little nervously. "I'm not quite sure, myself!"

The boy gave no response, making Tyki fear that he was catching on. _How much does he know?_

* * *

 

**Tyki's POV (Flashback)**

"Hurt", Tyki asked, entirely confused. He was slightly agitated that the Earl wanted him to betray Allen and just as worried for his beloved's safety, but he only masked it all with melodramatic hurt. "How rude! You don't care about me?"

The Earl laughed heartily. "I do, but so does Mr. Walker. Which is why I want you to be hurt. _Actually_ hurt. You're going to go out by the water and eventually cross paths with some exorcists. The plan is for you to be hurt enough for him to slaughter the exorcists in an effort to protect you."

Mikk narrowed his eyes as his heart filled with venom. "And why don't I just kill them?"

"I want him to get used to fighting the exorcists; to choose us over them and fight for us. Bonds are strengthened the fastest through partnership in battle and dire situations."

"But if he finds out about this-"

"Then it will be your responsibility to make him continue to side with us, whether you choose to use force or manipulation."

He clenched his hands into fists, trying to fight the urge to attack the Earl. He knew he could never win against him - no one could - but his instincts told him to fight anyway, as a noah. He began to growl a protest, "But Earl-"

"If I were you, Tyki Mikk", the Earl warned, standing up. "I'd start thinking up a plan."

The noah of pleasure lowered his head, allowing his hair to cover his face. "Why me", he mumbled.

"Because you have to know a puppet thoroughly to maneuver it." As he hopped to the door, he said in a more joyful tone, "Have fun!" He stopped at the entrance to the room and, without turning, he spoke with that terrifying aura of murder he had when he was angry. "Oh and I'd clean up that attitude if yours, if I were you." With that, he hopped out.

Tyki threw the dishes onto the ground before putting his head in his hands and sighing out the rest of his frustration. _Why...? I just gained his trust, so why?!_ ** __**

* * *

 

**Allen's POV**

Allen'd asked Tyki to leave him in his room, since he wanted to be alone, despite his injuries.

He felt sad, since he'd obviously been betrayed by Tyki and he killed Chaozii.  _Even if he did hate me, that shouldn't give me the right to kill him... And Tyki wasn't defending himself... but why? Was it somehow apart of the Earl's plan or did he do this just to spite me?_

He was angry - furious, even - and laid on his bed, hugging his pillow, bleeding on all the white, and crying into the soft fabric, as a way to release his rage.

It felt as if the anger was pouring over him, like fire on and under his skin. Eventually, he fell asleep. Or so he thought. He was once again face to face with Neah. This time, he didn't even bother rejecting him.


	4. Neah "Greets" The Family

#  **Neah's POV**

Neah opened his eyes and stared up at the white ceiling, coated with darkness. At first, he wasn't quite sure where he was. _Things are awfully foggy, in there._ The room was almost completely dark as he sat up on the bed, allowing Allen's lengthy white hair to pour over his shoulders.

He was so overcome with excitement once he'd remembered what had happened that he could hardly contain himself. As he dragged himself out of bed, he let his head fall back and a grin stretch across his face. _What should I do first? Kill the Earl? Is it not too soon? I'm so close..._

He almost drooled with excitement as he slowly made his way out the door. He was dressed in a white button-up shirt - which had only a few buttons buttoned - and some tight trousers with a belt that hung open.

He didn't bother to fix his appearance, not just because he didn't have much time in Allen's body, but because he was genuinely overcome with an overwhelming excitement. Maybe it was the noah in him that made him crave bloodshed so desperately. Whatever it was, he, unlike the boy, loved it.

He allowed his arms to dangle and he swayed with every step, nearly dragging himself along like a drunk person. With each akuma he sensed, he killed it before it could even catch sight of him. _We wouldn't want Adam to hear of my appearance before I could "greet" him now would we?_

Eventually, he came across a building with a door decorated excessively in pink and butterflies. "What have you been up to while I was away, my family", he said allowed, lifting his palm to it and allowing dark matter to shoot out and break down the door.

Inside was Road, who sat with her dolls, decorating Lulubell's cat form with decorative bows and clothing items. "Pathetic", he spat, though his smile never faltered. He lowered his head and allowed the pale hair and skin to darken. His hair covered his eyes and his hands dangled once more by his sides as he nearly laughed, "This is what you choose to do with your time?"

"Allen", Road asked, worry clouding her eyes as the cat began to hiss violently. As realization hit, she narrowed her eyes. "No... Neah..."

Neah's smile broadened as wide as it could and he chuckled through his teeth before lifting his palm toward her and singing, "Correct~."

* * *

**Tyki's POV**

After dropping Allen off in his room, he'd gone back to his own room and smoked a few cigarettes, scratching his head with agitation at himself, the boy, and the Earl.  _Why does he still cling to those so called "friends"? They weren't his friends to begin with! If only the Earl hadn't asked me to do that..._

He heard the sounds of explosions coming from outside his door, along with menacing laughter. He got up, creaked his door open just slightly, and glared into the ark, expecting entirely to find a general or something. Not that that's the most rational thought, seeing as the humans hadn't yet been capable of finding the noahs' ark...

Outside, he could see Allen walking sluggishly. As the noah crept out and followed the boy from a safe distance, he also noticed that he'd been killing akuma, not with his innocence, but with his dark matter.  _Why would he do that? Doesn't he know the consequences? Unless..._

Allen stopped in front of Road's door and stared at it. _The boy moves like a zombie... What's his problem? Is he sleeping walking?_

The ex-exorcist lifted his palm to the door and dark matter shot out of it, cutting through it and breaking it down. At this point, Tyki'd decided that it  _might_ possibly be best to intervene. So, he casually walked toward the door, as if just passing by, and looked in. 

"Neah", Road gasped.

"Correct~", Shounen sang, lifting his grey palm to the girl, as though planning to shoot dark matter at her.

Tyki jumped forward, called out to the boy, and pushed him to the ground. He was too late, though, and Road lay in Lulubell's now-human lap as she cradled the eldest while glaring at the attacker.

When Tyki looked at the one he was hovering above, he made eye contact with... Neah. The noah of pleasure would have known even if it he hadn't had the stigmata showing just by the way the boy laid so calmly and unflustered, seeming to study him with laser eyes and a lack of motion or emotion. Tyki squinted his eyes in a glare but didn't stop when white eyelashes fluttered shut before shooting open again. This time, his eyes were wider and full of surprise and confusion and his skin was pale with no visible stigmata.

_Is this a trick?_

* * *

**Allen's POV**

Allen opened his eyes to Tyki hovering above him with a furious glare in his eyes. He held his arms roughly to the ground, making it so the weaker one would have to use his innocence to get up. But, of course, he didn't want to cause any drama and, knowing how Tyki and the rest of the noah hated innocence, it would definitely cause drama.

Instead, he blinked his eyes, hoping that his confusion would convey through them, and asked, "Uh...Tyki...? Would you please move?"

The noah's glare only deepened, confusing the ex-exorcist tenfold.  _Did I do something wrong?_  He looked about the room, realizing only then that he was in Road's room, and then looked at Road, herself. She was in Lulubell's lap, seeming to be asleep. Lulubell had a similar glare to Tyki's, looking at the boy as though  _he_ were the one siding with the Earl.

"What happened, here", he asked, slightly more confused than previously. _Why am I here?_

"Hah! Don't play dumb, fourteenth. I won't fall for this", Tyki spat.

That pricked Allen's nerves. _He's calling me the fourteenth just like the Earl! Is this a nightmare? Has he already abandoned me? What did I do? Or is this truly a nightmare?_ He kneed the noah in the stomach and squirmed in a sad attempt to peacefully break free. "Let me _go_ , Tyki Mikk!"

"And if I do? Who do you intend to target next? The Earl? Don't tell me you think you can get away with this."

Allen'd had enough. He activated his innocence and pushed the larger man off of him with his crown clown and a furious shout, throwing him across the room. "What are you talking about, Tyki?! You're not making any sense!"

The noah skid to a stop in front of the boy as he stood up, innocence deactivating. He lit a cigarette and stood more casually, lessoning his glare. "So, it's really you, Shounen? That temper certainly sounds like you. However..."

Allen ran to him and pulled at his hair, shouting at him about how much of a jerk he was and making him laugh playfully as he pushed the shorter one off, carefully.

"Of course it's me, who else would it be", the ex-exorcist barked, standing back, crossing his arms, and closing his eyes in frustration.

"The fourteenth, for one. You  _did_ just attack Road and Lulubell - or, should I say, the fourteenth did."


	5. Saved By The Devil

**Tyki's POV**

"Or should I say, the fourteenth did", the noah mumbled with the cigarette between his lips.

The boy's big eyes grew as wide as Tyki believed they could become, like the moon at it's fullest. "W-what..?"

The noah tilted his head toward the fainted one, signaling for the shorter one to have a look. He slowly turned his grey marble-like eyes to Road before they, somehow, grew wider."That was...", he began, shakily.

Tyki cut him off before he could finish, closing his eyes and lowering the stick to his side, putting his hand on his hip, wondering exactly how he planned on dealing with the ex-exorcist's reaction, once it reached it's fullest. _He IS prone to overreact..._ "It was the fourteenth, not you. As for Road, she should be fine - don't worry too much about it. She's survived fairly easily for this long, I doubt she'd be put out by the least of a weakling's power."

"Road...", a voice from the doorless-entrance gasped, preventing the two from beginning to bicker. They simultaniously looked, only to catch Sheryl running furiously to the white-haired one. He slammed him to the ground by his neck, pinning his arm behind his back and sitting on him. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, _exorcist_ ", he growled.

Two other noah stood at the door, looking just as shocked and furious as their overreacting comrade.

_Was it the commotion that drew them here? Please don't tell me..._ He cringed at the thought of the Earl witnessing such a scene.

"Get up", Tyki's brother barked, grabbing the boy by his hair and pullng him off of the ground, all the while continuing to hold his hand behind his back. He pushed him out the door and, for some reason, Allen didn't struggle. He only looked furious and as though Sheryl was hurting him.

The noah of pleasure snapped out of his daze and warily walked to the others, dropping his cigarette to the ground and stepping on it subconciously, leaving ashes on the eldest's carpet. "Wait, hold on", he whined, in an attempt to mask his worry with playfulness. "Where are you taking him?"

"We just want to ask him some QUESTIONS", the less superior hissed, pushing the boy forward roughly.

* * *

**Allen's POV**

_The fourteenth hurt Road,_ Allen thought. _I knew that only bad things could come from accepting him, but I was so angry... so hurt... Then again, why do I care? These are the NOAH - who cares if they die, even! Although, Tyki and Road are sometimes different... sometimes..._

He lowered his head as he sat in the chair the noah had placed him in. At some point, Tyki seperated from the group, making Allen worry both that he was being abandoned and that things would go farther south than expected, since he seemed to be the one with the most control over most situations, in this ark. He scoffed internally, _Control? Please! It's as if I'm beginning to actually respect that noah!_ His hair fell to cover his eyes and he bit his lip roughly. _He's nothing but a traitor. Nothing but a noah._

" _Exorcist_ ", Sheryl hissed, drawing his attention. "Answer me! Who are you to the Earl!"

As the man continued to speak, his mind began to wander, once more. The rest of the noah sat around the room - even Lulubell, who continued to craddle and sleeping Road. _Still? Did I really do THAT much damage?_

A bone-breaking kick to the face threw the boy to the ground, still tied to the chair. He grit his teeth in an attempt to sooth the pain as the offending noah pulled him up slightly by his hair. "Answer me, Exorcist! Why is the Earl protecting you? Why didn't you do this sooner? What are you planning and how slowly should we kill you?"

Fiedla held up five sharp knives and laughed insanely (how to even describe such a laugh...), spreading them out with his thumb and dangling his eye-covered tongue next to them.

Allen narrowed his eyes and "tch"ed before glancing at Tyki, who glared at the noah that threatened the boy with a mixture of fury, edge, and observation. The ex-exorcist could only hope and pray that the man was planning a way to get him out and that, truly, he would succeed.

The door busted open, throwing Tyki to the ground with a dramatic cry and causing everyone to cast wide eyes at their visitor. The Millennium Earl strode in to the boy, making Sheryl stand as he said, "Now, now. I never asked you all to do this, did I?"

"Earl?" A drop of sweat rolled down Sheryl's temple as he took a step back from the clown.

"Maybe I wasn't very clear", Adam said, lowering his voice until it shook everyone in their shoes with fear. Even his expression somehow was terrifying, despite the smile which never ceased. He was truly angry and Allen hadn't seen that, before. It was horrible... "Under no circumstances are any of you to harm the fourteenth. Do you understand?"

The man gulped and nodded slightly, looking as though he was ready to crap his pants.

"Good~. Then, as payment, I've got a few tasks for you. Go to your room - I'll speak to you soon." He turned to leave the room, calling out over Tyki's groaning, "Lulubell, bring Road and follow me."

 

* * *

 

**The Earl's POV**

Lulubell walked down the ark's path, holding Road bridal style in her arms with the eldest striding gleefully ahead, lifting his leg up with each step and humming an unknown tune.

Several moments went without speaking before the youngest spoke up. Although she sounded careful and wary, she also sounded furious, almost. _Quite unusual, for Lulubell... is she beginning to mistrust me? How strange..._

"Lord Millennium", her voice range shakily yet stern. "Why did you allow the exorcist to _live_? He has already proven to us his lack of loyalty by attacking one of us, we can't-"

"On the contrary", he began, voice rising above hers, since he already knew her and the rest of his "children" well enough to knowwhat she'd planned to say. "He is even moreso useful than before. I have great plans for him!" He chuckled and clasped his hands behind his back, feet now rising higher than previously with excitement.

"How so", she asked, monotonously.

_She almost sounds like Tyki-pet, like that! How cute._ "You know that that was the fourteenth, don't you? Why do you think he was drawn out, so suddenly? He's been so quiet, recently."

Silence followed, as though she was pondering this carefully. The Earl didn't interrupt, continuing to walk patiently as he awaited an answer that he was sure would come. "I can only speculate that it was due to a vast amount of stress, though I don't know much about this. I saw him crying beforehand - are you saying that negative emotions somehow bring the fourteenth out of hiding?"

"Precisely. Neah resides in his subconcious and Allen Walker requires emotional strength to restrain him, meaning that stress, fear, sadness, and anger may aid in his return." There were stars in his eyes as he smiled excitedly and laughed quickly. "I'm going to break him."


	6. To The Depths Of Hell, Shall We Go?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter's short! I've got 3 plots that I'm ready to start up, but I'm not sure which one to do next! I need another week to figure it out before we move forward, sorry again! ;-;

**Tyki's POV**

 

Tyki carried Allen on his back as he opened the door with a butterfly nailed to it, before walking to the bed and carefully dropping the hurt and complaining exorcist onto it. Not that he was listening. Ever since the Earl popped in and said what he did, Tyki had been wondering to himself exactly why the clown had done so and what the consequences would be.  _I knew that Lord Millennium would prevent them from killing Allen, but his reaction was... terrifying. Does he really care that much about Allen? And how would the others retaliate? They don't take failure and loss well - no noah does..._

  
"Ty- _ki_!" The noah had been sitting with the boy still on his back the entire time. "How long are you planning to hold me? Let me go!" A chop to the head sent Tyki onto the floor beside the bed.

  
"That wasn't necessary, Shounen", the noah grumbled through his pain as he held his head. Normally he would've been over-dramatic, to mess with the boy. This time, however, he was too worried. _What will Sheryl do? He seems to really have it out for the boy..._

 

"Haven't you heard a word I said?" The boy took off his shoe and threw it at Tyki, who swatted it away and sat on the bed, wary of the danger of being so close to the violent one.

 

"Would you stop hurting me", he groaned. "Geez, and you say I'm the bad guy."

  
The ex-exorcist scoffed and crossed his arms. "It serves you right. You didn't even follow me into the room with the rest of the noah or attempt to help me! Where did you have to go that was so important?"

  
The noah scratched his cheek and smiled nervously, allowing a drop of sweat to roll down his temple. "That's..."  _I can't possibly tell him that I was busy chasing after my own shadow... I thought it was an intruder, though!_

 

He looked back at the glaring grey eyes below him and scat away slightly. Allen had his other shoe in his hand as he hissed, "Tyki..."

 

It was a clear threat. So, in an effort to defend his gorgeous face, he quickly thought up a lie, shrugging his shoulders and smiling smugly. "I had to clean up the cigarette I dropped onto Road's floor. Lulubell was pretty upset about it and demanded I do so, before leaving the room."

  
Although the boy lowered the shoe, he "tch"ed and turned away, closing his eyes in the process and furrowing his brows. Clearly, he didn't believe him. "Whatever", he grumbled. After a moment of silence, Tyki laid on the bed, allowing his legs to dangle off the edge.

  
"Tyki", Walker began warily, sounding as though he'd planned to say something but stopped himself, immediately.

  
The noah studied him carefully, unsure of whether he should pry or pretend not to care. Clearly, whatever he wanted to say made him feel as though he was walking on thin ice. All the noble said in response was, "Hm?"

  
"Do you actually... care about me?"

  
The noah's face caught fire, though he shook it away with a slight amount of humor, overly confidently sitting up and scooting close to the boy, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Ooo~! What brought this on, hm?"

  
"J-just answer me", he snapped, face lighting up.

  
"Surprisingly, quite a bit", Tyki responded with all seriousness, facing forward and placing his hands in his lap.

  
"So you'd follow me wherever I might go?"

  
Dramatically, he put a hand on his chest as though to hold his heart in place, held a hand high, and said, just as dramatically, "Even to the depths of hell, should you ever go!"

  
After a pause, Allen asked a little more quietly, "Even if I were to leave this ark and go into hiding?"

  
"Eh?" That got him. The noah dropped his hands and looked back at the boy, who finally looked at him with that determined look, though it was tainted by a slight amount of blush.

 

_On the run? From the Earl?_

 

* * *

**Unknown Person's POV**

The man stood in the shadows of the ark, hiding between buildings while listening into the noah's conversation. Sheryl stood facing the alley the man had been standing in and the other two noah stood opposite of him, his back to the alley. Sheryl held his chin, fury written clear across his face. "Why would the Earl defend the exorcist? Sure he might have a noah in him, but he's an exorcist! What's so special about the fourteenth that he'd actually _defend_ him?"

  
Fiedla shrugged, crossing his arms and sighing out his frustration, yet seeming somehow to be uninterested in the other's concerns. As Lord Mikk's brother spoke, Fiedla looked out of the corner of his eye at the alley, seeming to glare with suspicion.

 

_Has he noticed me?_

  
"Fiedla", Sheryl barked, clapping in his hands in the distracted one's face to grab his attention. "Aren't you listening! We need to come up with something since the Earl is clearly against us!"  


As they bickered, the intruder backed away carefully and quietly, ducking behind buildings and slipping out of earshot. 


	7. A Violent Awakening

**Tyki’s** **POV**

_On the run? From the Earl?_

The noah stared at the boy, hoping that it would only be a joke. To his dismay, the determined gray eyes only seemed to grow more hopeful.  _Agh_ _... nothing good can come out of this..._ The noah chuckled slightly and smirked. “You're funny, boy. You almost had me there.”

Apparently not taking the hint, Allen barked, “It’s not a joke! I’m serious, Tyki!” He “tch”ed, turned his face away, and crossed his arms.

As Tyki dropped the corners of his lips and looked back at the boy through the corner of his eye, he realized that he had a hard time saying no to the boy, yet he couldn’t say yes.Opting to joke to lighten the mood, he stood from the bed and waved on his way out, “Leave the Earl? Hah! Your brain was never your strong point,  _Shounen_ ~.” As he opened the door, he returned his eyes to the corners, looking back at the boy as discreetly as he could. 

His hair draped over his face, hiding all features but the lip he bit.  _I’m sorry, Allen._

* * *

 

**Wisely’s** **POV**

Lunch had been called but Walker was late. Wisely also noticed that Tyki was upset. He was quite tempted to peer into his thoughts but feared what might lurk within the walls of the noah's mind. After all, this  _is_  pleasure. 

The absence of the boy gave him a clear opportunity and he wouldn’t dare leave it. He moved several seats over, so he was sitting directly next to the noah. In response, the taller furrowed his brows and stared at him, as though he feared the man would do something to him. “Don’t worry”, he whispered. “I only wanted to ask why you look so glum. It isn’t often that something bothers you – the noah of pleasure.”

Mikk closed his eyes and turned his head forward, speaking in a whisper without bothering to lean over. “Why don’t you read my mind – not that I want you to.”

The noah of wisdom smiled evilly. “Mm, I fear your mind may be too dirty for me to look through.” Apparently, the white-headed noah was right in his assumption, since Tyki’s face grew slightly red. “Spot on, am I? So, what’s troubling you?”

“The boy and I had a slight disagreement, earlier.”

“Ooh~! Yes, I’ve noticed how well you care for him and how personal your relationship is. Quite unusual, I’d say, for a noah and an exorcist. How did that happen?”

Tyki glared at him but lowered his head and looked down, as if thinking back. Before long, a wide smirk spread across his face. “He’s... interesting.”

Wisely blinked twice at the taller one. “Interesting?”

* * *

 

**Allen’s POV**

The boy lay in the noah’s bathtub. Just like the rest of his room, the bathroom was decorated with black. Even the porcelain tub was almost entirely black, if not for the gold handles. The floor tiles were large white and black checkers while the rest of the furniture was black with gold decorations. The only things that were purple, in this room, were the towels and drapes, though they were almost black with how dark they were. 

He slouched in the tub, allowing the water to cover his mouth. As the bubbles in the tub began to thin out, he eventually saw the shadow which stood behind him in the reflection of the water. The fourteenth; Neah. 

After having the shadow speak to him on an occasional basis, you would’ve thought he’d have gotten used to it. However, he couldn’t. It was infuriating, the things it said, and terrifying, the way it said the things it did. All he could think of was the time he’d been gripped by the shadow, whether or not that was reality. 

“Kill the Millennium Earl”, it whispered. 

“Not now”, Allen said, sitting up properly.  _How can I? If I do now,_ _Tyki_ _will be angry with me. Besides that, I’m surrounded by_ _noah_ _and have no one on my side. I can’t take the entire_ _noah_ _clan alone..._

“With me, you can. Come - Lord Mikk will never choose you with _him_ in the way. Let’s eliminate him.”

That pricked a nerve. “That’s not how this works! I can’t do that to him! Besides, choose me?! What are you even talking about?!”

It was as though someone had grabbed him and pulled his legs, sending the rest of his body under water, including his head. Suddenly, he was unable to get up. He pulled at the edges of the tub but was unsuccessful in pulling himself out of the water. He began to flail his arms about, hoping to find the intruder. Every attempt at activating his innocence failed and he could hear Neah in the back of his head saying calmly,   _“_ _The Earl is your enemy. The Earl is Mana’s enemy. The Earl killed Mana.”_

As he struggled more frantically, beginning to lose consciousness, he heard a muffled, “Allen!” Hands grabbed his own and pulled him out of the tub and into a protective hug. They both stared at the settling water with shock and fear before Tyki finally seemed to recognize that the shorter one wasn’t wearing any clothes. 

He looked him up and down but Allen did nothing but stare at his love's now pale features as his own face grew redder and redder.  _He’s so gorgeous, in his human form. Even better when he doesn’t wear those glasses. This is the first time I've seen him, like this_ _._ “Is this your way of getting my attention, boy”, the taller asked, seeming to be entirely serious, though Allen knew otherwise.

The boy chopped the noah over the head before turning to head toward the towel rack, only to be stopped when a towel was wrapped around him, by the noah. Along with the towel, Tyki wrapped his arms around the younger one’s slim figure and lowered his lips to his ear, appearing to be sympathetic. Revealing, once more, that side of him that Allen hadn’t known to be existent, until recently. “What happened?”

Although he’d almost forgotten about his problems and was coping with them nicely before the question was asked, the noah’s voice seemed to draw out all of his troubles and he lowered his head in an attempt to hide the tears, which rolled heavily and quickly down his cheeks.  _Since when did I grow so attached to him...? Weeks ago, we were trying to kill_ _eachother_ _. Now, I’m bathing in his bathtub and looking to him for comfort. This has to stop._  

He grabbed the towel and pulled out of the noah of pleasure’s embrace. “Just leave me alone”, he mumbled, not bothering to look behind him. He didn’t want to see what face the older would make, for fear he’d draw him back in. As he heard a sigh and the door to the bathroom shut, he thought to himself,  _I need to get out of here - and soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That second scene was actually something I thought up at the last minute, since I REALLY felt the need to add it in. I’m so excited to show you all the next chapter! There are quite a few interestingly odd turn of events, coming along and the begin at the very beginning of Chapter 8! Look forward to it! ^-^ 


	8. Level 5

**Allen's POV**

Allen walked down the path of the ark, heading for the dining room. Tyki left him to his room to get ready but told him that he had to be at dinner or the Earl would be upset with both of them. Quite frankly, he didn’t care what the fat man thought, nor did he care whether or not he was angry with him or Tyki. However, the edge in the older man’s voice told the younger that there was something that he’d feared.    
  
The boy could only really assume that the head of this ark was an even more terrifying man, when reckoned with. He’d already been terrifying when in battle, so Allen didn’t dare wonder what went on when he was actually furious. According to Tyki, the larger man hadn’t been furious in years and the majority of the noah only had their instincts to tell as to why they all trembled before him, but weren’t willing to find out, once again.   
  
Allen wasn’t willing to, either.    
  
At least not yet. He would soon go face to face with the larger man and he was preparing himself to do so. As well as to go face to face with the ones he loved. Surely, Tyki would choose the Earl, once more.    
  
He lifted his hand and allowed his fingertips to brush across the ruby necklace that hugged his neck. It had been a gift from Tyki to him – one that seemed to be entirely genuine. _If this necklace is a genuine gift, doesn't that mean that so are his feelings, for me? But, so could be said, if his feelings for me are fake, then what were his intentions behind this gift? Were they genuine? Were they innocent?_  
  
As he allowed his face to droop slightly, he suddenly smelled something familiar, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint what the smell was. All he knew was that it reminded him of his past, in some way. It reminded him of a time when he had Mana, whether or not the smell was similar to Mana’s.    
  
His heart slightly ached at the thought and he looked around, hoping to find the source of the smell.  _Is Mana's spirit nearby, maybe? Is that why i'm suddenly smelling this? Are you trying to remind me, Mana? Or is this supposed to be a smell sent by God; a sign, telling me not to leave. Or, maybe, it's a sign telling me specifically TO leave. Or maybe it's simply a smell... Either way, my decision stands - I'm leaving the ark as soon as I get the opportunity to do so. As soon as I get the heart to do so._  
  
Feeling more confident at the possibility that Mana might be walking beside him every step of the way, he pushed the doors to the dining room opened and walked in, no longer hesitant in his decision making. No longer fearful of what may come.

* * *

**Tyki's POV**

  
  
The noah sat at the dining table, waiting for the boy, just as the rest of the noah did. The earl insisted upon them waiting for their "guest" to be seated, despite his hatred for them and lack of respect.   
  
He lifted the ribbon the boy gave to him off of his neck and held it delicately, in his palm.   
  
_To care so much for something so small - and given to me by a human - surely makes me look weak. But what do I care? I wouldn't trade it for the world. Not that I could ever admit to that - my pride IS on the line here, after wall._

  
The boy finally walked in, dressed in white - as usual - with a warm-looking, white, furry cape that resembled his innocence, closely. Completely ignoring the noah of pleasure as he sat directly beside him - in the only available seat - he didn't so much as glance at him. Though, as he settled in and the Earl called for their meals, his face began to droop and his eyes looked to be filled with hurt.   
  
  
_Is this because I refused to abandon our Lord, for him? What does he expect? This is a bond of family blood between us noah that's stood for the past 7,000 years, and he wants me to abandon that blood connection for something I've had for - what - a year? Relationships are more frequently short-lived, while blood ties can't be cut._  
  
  
He huffed out a breath of frustration and lifted his fork, ignoring the boy lifting his head and looking at the noah. His pale lips opened, as though he planned to speak, but he was cut off by the Earl's cheery announcement.   
  
  
"Now that you're all here, there's something that I've been meaning to show to you. Something that I've been working diligently on, for awhile now."  
  
  
_A show? Of what? And why would he reveal his plans in front of the boy - the fourteenth?_  
  
  
All of his questions were answered when the Earl ordered someone to come out and a human-looking figure stepped out of the shadows. Though, he knew it couldn't be human. As a noah, he could tell that it was an akuma.  _A level 4...? No, this one's too advanced. It's got to be a..._

As the boy's cursed eye activated, the Earl spoke with glee. "This is the first level 5 akuma I've created, so far. Isn't it gorgeous?"  
  
  
Walker jumped from his seat and began to run, but his legs gave out below him and he fell to the ground, the cape and his hair covering the space between his face and the floor as he puked audibly.  
  
  
"Allen!" Tyki joined him at his side and crouched down, holding out a hand to help him up.   
  
  
His hand was immediately slapped away and Allen looked up, glaring furiously. "Don't touch me", he yelled.   
  
  
A moment of silence passed with the noah of pleasure staring at him in shock before the boy smiled wide, through his tears. He looked down at the floor and began to shakily lift himself up, saying, "I'd almost completely forgotten who you are and what you do. You're just a noah; you torture the innocent and induce despair joyfully. I'd almost forgotten... how much I hate you..."  
  
  
His heart broke with the last three words the younger uttered. "Allen..." The noah reached his hand out once more, hoping that, at the very least, he could place it onto his shoulder, to comfort him. Though, the ex-exorcist evoked his Clown Cloak, jumping back and yelling, "Don't touch me!"  
  
  
He backed away a couple of steps before turning and running out of the room, leaving Tyki with his shock. Almost immediately, his surprise turned to fury and he clenched his hands into fists. _And you, Allen Walker, are just an exorcist._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sorry that his reaction's so... weird. xD It was originally in his POV and actually made sense and was great! Then, I thought, "Welp, I need to show Tyki's reaction, so I can only show his POV!" So yeah... I hope it wasn't too weird. From Tyki's POV, it kind of just looks like Allen's lost his noggin. Or is running in fear of the akuma. Of course, we readers know why Allen turns his eyes from the akuma! They're "disgusting", as he puts it. xp)


	9. Misery Consuming

**Tyki's POV**

"Allen?" Tyki peeked around corners and behind every door, looking under and around every object he could find - even a plant. As he lifted the standing plant and called out the boy's name, he heard Road giggle.

"He's not under the plant, Tyki!"

The noah of pleasure turned on his heel and pouted dramatically. "Road? You haven't seen Allen, have you? After he ran out of the dining room, I've not been able to find even a hair of him." He sighed and slouched slightly at his failure.

The corners of her lips lowered slightly and she looked at the man as though she was studying him carefully. "That's because..." She paused and Tyki straightened up, suddenly feeling a wave of worry creep into his heart. He didn't quite like the tone she was using, knowing it could only mean that bad news would soon follow. _Is he in trouble? Does he not want to see me?_ As the words escaped her lips, it felt as though a large sword had gone through his chest and had sliced his heart into two pieces. "He left the ark, Tyki."

"Huh?" He widened his eyes and allowed his mind to race with theories as to why the boy would go out on his own and why the girl before him hadn't done anything about it.  _Is he leaving... for good? He was furious, just before. I have to go find him! He can't get away - what are they doing?_ He grit his teeth and clenched his hands into fists before loosening his muscles and breathing out his worry.  _It's okay... he CAN'T get away. I will always find him - he can't hide._ "I assume you know where he is, yes? Then, why aren't you opening a door? Lead me to him - we don't have time to waste." 

 She lowered her head, allowing her hair to cover her eyes, hiding her expression from the noah. "Yeah, about that... Lord Millennium said for us to leave him be... We can't follow him..."

 _What? The Earl? Allowing him to leave? That's impossible... Everything about that is impossible... What is that clown thinking?!_ He uncharacteristically let out a loud groan and marched down the hall and toward the Earl. 

_I can't just let this go... Even if i have to defy the Earl, I WON'T let this go._

* * *

**Allen's POV**

The ex-exorcist had taken the long route to Mother, hoping that the distance between the placement of the ark and his intended location would be enough for the noah not to find him. He walked sluggishly, frowning deeply with his head lowered and his hair dangling below his face.

As his heart began to ache, he stopped walking. He was in the midst of a crowd of people, so those who walked behind him bumped into him, becoming furious with him for stopping so suddenly, and walking around. He was deep in thought, though, and only stared at the ground, clenching his hands into fists. 

_Although it's not been that long, that I've been with him, it feels like we've been together forever and I'm walking away from something... important. But what was it? A flirtatious friendship? We've been enemies from the start and yet I've allowed myself to become close to him... This isn't love. This SHOULDN'T be love._

As he grazed his necklace with the tips of his fingers, he thought back to the time when Tyki and he had said how they loved eachother and the genuine, innocent smile that the noah wore. He thought of how kind Tyki was to him, even going so far as to set them as equals, and how they'd slept together almost every night. He thought of the man's innocent, sleeping face; how he couldn't help but feel a genuine connection with the man, when he saw that expression. 

He sighed and lifted his head, unclenching his hands and walking forward.  _It doesn't matter, now. If we weren't enemies then, we are again. I won't allow myself to become so close to him, anymore. It was a mistake to trust that man. That noah..._

* * *

 

**Unknown Person's POV**

The man knelt before the Earl before looking up and asking, "You called, Earl?"

"I want you to run a few errands for me. Allen Walker - I'd like you to follow him and closely monitor his behavior and emotions. Make sure to describe to me in great detail everything that he says and does, as you would when writing a novel. Don't let me down; this is your test~! It has to be as though I am there, personally, with the way you tell me your story."

He groaned slightly but stopped before more than a slight breath of air could get out, trying his hardest to suppress his anger at the thought of having to tail that brat. "May I ask why, Lord Millennium?"

He hopped repeatedly in his seat, nonsensically gesturing toward the many phones that scattered the room as he seemed to dance with his entire upper body. "Well, I have so much work to do! How can I do all of this while keeping such a close eye on the boy~? In any case, this is more of a test to see whether or not you'll faithfully abide by my rules."

He nodded as a bead of sweat formed on his forehead at the thought that he might be turned against, should he fail. He didn't want to make an enemy of the noah... not right now. Not while he was still on this personal mission.

He stood and turned to walk out, stopping only at the sound of the fat man's voice.

"Oh and one more thing: I want you to make him suffer. Diligently."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof... I'm starting to feeling like the endings to chapters are insanely repetitive. I literally went through several of my previous chapters just to see if I've actually written the same line at the end of a chapter and said by the Earl, before, but couldn't find one. Maybe it's just because I end each chapter with one short sentence? Although, my main reason with doing it for the Earl, when I'm in situations like this, is because I feel like there's a LOT of detail to be added, so you know what's going on, but I don't want to make the whole chapter about it. So, jaaa. xD


	10. Arriving At A Cold Place

** Tyki's POV **

"Good evening, Lord Millennium", the noah said, casually. Although he was internally fuming that the man had allowed the boy to leave, he wasn't going to show that emotion. No, he knew the Earl couldn't be reasoned with. Especially not with anger. What he decided was final... not that everyone followed his unenforced rules. "May I ask why you allowed Allen Walker to leave the ark?"

They were in the phone room and the Earl didn't so much as look up from his knitting to meet the eyes of the younger man, though Tyki could hear a sort of edge to his words. "Attached, are we?"

The noah stiffened, he swallowed hard, and his eyes widened. Not only had he just realized how close he actually was to Allen, but he was worried about what the Earl would say or do, if he'd known.  _Is this why he's allowing him to leave? Because I'm getting too close to him?_

When he didn't respond, the Earl sighed and looked up, finally letting go of the needles and allowing his hands to rest upon his lap. "You want to know: Why did I let him leave? Because he wanted to, of course."

A thread of doubt formed in the noah of pleasure's heart as he tightened his hands into fists and closed his eyes. He breathed out his impatience as silently as possible and relaxed his hands, opening his eyes with an unintentional glare."Earl, somehow I find it hard to believe that that is your only reasoning. What are you planning?"

The Earl chuckled slightly and the younger lifted his head slowly, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, as a response to the uncalled for laughter. "Because he needs to learn to rely on us, Tyki Mikk."

"Huh?" He perked up, suddenly, having to stop himself from tilting his head in utter confusion.  _Rely on us? Why would he do that? And how would leaving us be the source of such a thing? Surely this man has lost his mind..._

The fat man stood up, sighing as he did so, and started walking toward the door. "Haven't you noticed, child? The world has abandoned him wholeheartedly. In his time of need, who will come to his rescue? Surely not those humans." As he opened the door and walked out, the younger trailing closely behind, he growled a mysterious, "And, of course, a troubling time  _will_ come." 

* * *

 

**Mother's POV**

She was sitting in the kitchen, watching the sun set through the window, and drinking tea as Barba ran about gleefully, cleaning up and preparing dinner. Just as the idea of getting up passed through her mind, a shadow fled past the window. It was too fast for her to see who or what it was, but she knew that it had to be human. She narrowed her eyes at all of the possibilities and called for Barba to follow her to the door, ready to assist her, should it be a dangerous person.

She didn't fear humans and she barely feared the akuma and noah, due to the fact that she'd been involved with the order for such a long time, but something had her on a slight amount of edge. She could feel something dangerous nearby, though she didn't specifically know what it was. She had to at  _least_ be careful.  _I'm not a young woman, anymore, after all._

She opened the door to the short, white-haired man and widened her eyes in surprise. Allen looked exhausted and depressed, though he smiled slightly once he'd realized that the door was opened. Of course, the old woman knew that it was fake.

"Hello, Mother", he said, weakly. 

She sighed slightly and waved him in. "Come in, come in", she groaned, turning to walk back into the kitchen, only to be stopped by the sight of a second shadow. This one was perched on the branch of a tree, hiding behind the leaves, though the woman could see more than just his golden eyes.  _A noah? I've heard of them but have never come face to face with one. According to Cross, those who see them don't live to tell about it, so why is one following Allen? Is he after him or is Allen siding with him? Are they here for me?_

She walked to the kitchen and sat down, watching the boy's every movement from the corner of his eye. 

* * *

 

**Allen's POV**

He was put in his room after Barba fed him well and he'd filled Mother in on his situation. Of course, he left out a few details, like how he felt he was slowly going crazy, with Neah inside of him, and how he had begun feeling a certain unwelcome emotion toward the noah. He was too afraid of how she would react. When push came to shove, he believed that she would side with the order.  _It's bad enough that she knows I'm slowly becoming a noah, myself. How would she react if I loved a noah?_ As he sat on his bed, he looked out the window and at the moon.  _"Love", right? Is it me who feels this? Or is it the noah in me? When did my love for him begin, exactly?_ He sighed in frustration and rubbed his head. 

He laid down and wrapped himself in the blanket.  _It's so cold - sleeping alone._

* * *

 

**Tyki's POV**

Although the noah was told not to be out for too long, he stayed far past sunset and after the boy had fallen asleep. The Earl had asked him to not interfere with him and to not interact with him, saying that he would come back to them once he realized that he missed the noah's company. Of course, Tyki felt as though he wouldn't miss anyone but himself; the noah of pleasure.  _How could the Earl expect him to miss the rest of the family? He hated them! If he's going to miss anyone, he's going to miss the one he slept with, the majority of the time._ He scoffed at the memory of the old man's words. 

The Earl's plan seemed like a good one, but he feared that it would take too long. He'd intended for the boy to eventually be put in a situation where he was in such dire need of help, that he'd want their protection and they would swoop in to save him.  _But when does that fatso think that's going to happen? 10 years from now, should he live that long? How does he even know that he'd look to us for help? But, more importantly, the Earl sounded so sure that something bad was going to happen, soon. Does he have something planned?_  

He furrowed his brows and allowed a drop of sweat to roll down his temple, as the nervousness set in. Once the lights in the house had all gone out and it was clear that the old woman and the fat man were asleep, the noah phased through Allen's bedroom window and sat down on the edge of his bed, petting his hair and allowing the softness to bring a smile to his lips.  _It's alright. Whether or not it will be later rather than sooner, inevitably, he will be mine._  

 


	11. His Guardian Angel; His Noah

**Allen's POV**

Throughout the morning, Mother had given him some unusually suspicious glares that he couldn't help but fret about.  _Does she know about me and Tyki? Does she think that we're something... more? Does it bother her...?_ As the sun rose high into the sky, he helped Barba to prepare dinner, for that evening. He'd been lost in thought the entire time, coming up with theory after theory as to what Mother had been thinking and how long it would be before he would be found out. 

_Can I stay here? I hadn't intended to, but it's so nice, being able to relax. To not feel as though I'm constantly having to be on guard is nice... They may suspect me, but at least I know that they'd warn me if my eye doesn't. Or, at least, I'd like to hope so._

"Allen~!" 

At Barba's desperate whine, the boy stiffened and turned around, nearly whispering a, "huh?" 

"That's not how you do it, silly Allen." He took the potato that the younger one had been peeling and held it up, along with the peelings. The skin that he'd peeled off had way too much meat still on them and the potato, itself, was about half the size it was when he first started. As they looked over the rest of the potatoes, they saw that they were in the same condition as the first one. A bead of sweat rolled down his face as they stared in silence. 

Once he'd looked up at the bald man and seen how depressed he looked, he waved his hands in front of him, panicking terribly. "It's okay! I'll just go buy some more! I'll go right now!" 

Barba only nodded slightly, though the frown on his face seemed to begin to lessen. Allen sighed, realizing that this had probably been the first time he'd upset Barba and that Mother would likely scold him if she found out, if she didn't do so because of the potatoes.  _Agh... I'm so troublesome..._

* * *

 

**Tyki's POV**

Tyki sat in a pub while wearing his overalls and glasses, despite his hair being longer than it had been, the last time he'd dressed this way. After Allen attempted to exorcise his noah, he hadn't felt much of an urge to be human, anymore, and more-so preferred to do things that the rest of the noah loved to do.

On one hand, he was happy to finally fit in with the rest of the noah, no longer standing as the outcast who had to walk on eggshells, trying to sneak to meet his human friends. On the other hand, though, he _did_ slightly miss it. He hadn't realized that until this day, though, as he'd dressed himself so poorly and sat at a table, pulling his cards out to play a game with a stranger while he oversaw the fourteenth's kind and beautiful vessel.  _Too_ kind and  _unfairly_ beautiful.

As he held the cards in one hand and his cigarette in the other, he watched out the window as the white-haired one walked with deep contemplation coating his features before bumping into an unwealthy man and apologizing frantically. The man must've had quite the bad day because, as soon as he recovered from the shock of nearly tipping over, he balled his hand into a fist and punched the boy's pale cheek, reddening it immediately. He yelled something before walking off, leaving Allen standing still, staring at the ground with gritted teeth and trembling lips. Whether it was from anger, pain, or sadness, Tyki didn't know.  _I'll add that fool to my list; he'll be dead by morning. Should it be by tease or blood loss? Ooh~, what a decision._

He hummed audibly, making the stranger at his table turn his head in confusion. To cure his boredom, the noah had been killing all who'd opposed the boy, being sure to count even those who gave him a nasty look or shooed him away.  _Or maybe it's for more than just entertainment... Somehow, it makes me angry to see anyone but me treating him the way they do._

As the white head of hair bobbed out of view from the window, Tyki finished up his game and made his way out, using his tease to catch up to the younger one.

* * *

 

**Allen's POV**

He walked through an alleyway, taking it as a shortcut on his way to grab some more potatoes. In the alley stood several low-wealth civilians, huddled together and conversing quietly. As he attempted to pass the men, they formed a wall, preventing him from walking any further. He stiffened as he remembered the time he'd last been confronted in this way. He remembered how he'd blacked out and, once he came to, he realized that he'd killed several humans. He felt like a noah and just the idea of doing so again made him sick to his stomach. In an attempt to keep complete control over his own body, he focused on his breathing, choosing to avoid eye-contact with the strangers.

"Oi, boy", one of them commanded. "Are you deaf? Empty your pockets or we'll do it ourselves."

He closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists, fighting with himself internally. He could hear someone whispering, "Kill him. Kill Them." Unsure of whether it was in his head or not, he tightened his muscles and grit his teeth.  _No... These are humans - I could never..._

"Boy", another of the men chuckled.

"Boy!" At this point, they were grabbing him roughly, but he only stiffened, in response.

" _Shounen_ _~._ " His eyes shot opened at the sound of Tyki's voice and he looked around the alley. It was empty; not a soul to be seen, heard, or felt. 

 "Tyki", he whispered, wearily, unsure of whether he had actually heard the noah or if he was going insane, hearing the voices of his past in his ears during the present. He suddenly remembered the loving way the noah of pleasure looked at him when he called him "shounen" and the way he'd stretched his given name, "Allen". His cheeks began to burn before his heart began to sink, causing his shoulders to sag and his head to lower.  _There I go again, thinking about that noah._ He "tch"ed and shook the thoughts away, continuing to walk down the alley, now that the opposing humans had disappeared.  _Maybe I really am going crazy and they weren't even here to begin with. Whatever it is, I shouldn't stand and ponder - it only ever leads to heartache._

* * *

 

**Tyki's POV**

Above the alley, on the roof of the building the bums had been sitting next to, Tyki stood with a heart in his hand, watching the boy continue through the alleyway. He breathed out his frustration and worry, squeezing the heart in his grip and allowing it to seep through his fingers, dropping onto the bodies of the dead hobos.  _Honestly, does he simply attract danger, by nature?_ After the white head of hair was out of sight, he dropped the bodies from the rooftop, causing their blood to splatter over the stones.

He hopped to follow the ex-exorcist by rooftop, jumping from building to building and ducking out of sight when he was sure the younger would look up.  _Hopefully, I can remain this close to you without being caught. If I can't be with you in person, at least I can be with you in secret, even if I'm the only one who knows it. Hurry up and miss me already, idiot! Miss me and look for me..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the personalities weren't on point! I know, at least, that Barba was a little off. Of course, though, it's not as though I have a lot of referance for him, since we only have a few episodes/chapters, that include him! ;-; Even those don't show too much of his personality, besides the time when he went to give the flowers to that one lady, at the hospital... those who've watched the anime know what I'm talking about LOL.
> 
> And I'm soooo sorry that this is a really long chapter. xD I don't know if you all care about that. Personally, I prefer that chapters stay at about the same length, every time. This time, though, I just couldn't leave out Tyki's POV ;-; It just doesn't seem like one of those cliffhangerable moments, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to just add it to the next chapter, but at the same time I can't just cut out the last two scenes or it'll be too short! lmao so ja ~ c: I hope it's alright with you all.


	12. Hermann Muller

 

* * *

**Hermann's POV**

The salesperson handed the bag of recently purchased goods to Hermann, a young brunette boy who took it and cradled it with both hands, smiling politely at the old woman who'd handed it to him. He enthusiastically let off a "thank you" and walked off, looking to each stand of the street's market for anything that might interest him. Although the street was crowded, there was a nearly clear path to walk down, having just enough room for two people to walk side by side.

Just as soon as he'd spotted an interesting store with valuable jewelry he'd like to look at - though he knew he couldn't afford a thing - he caught a boy with a white head of hair shuffling nervously through the crowd. He wore a look of regret, guilt, and all-out pain as he stared at the ground, carrying his own bag from the market.  _It's him_ , the brunette thought, eagerly.

He walked as though he hadn't seen the shorter one, staring up and to the side, and not daring to look ahead. They collided just as roughly as he'd intended they do and both of their bags fell onto the ground, spilling about. The snowy-haired one stuttered a frightened apology and bent to gather their things, starting with Hermann's.  _Does he honestly think that this was his fault? How silly..._ He had to suppress his own laughter at the realization as he bent to gather the others' things.

"It's my fault - I wasn't paying attention", he responded, a little too confidently.  _Ahh... I've got to tone it down some, hm? Wouldn't want to gain suspicion... Though, maybe confidence is a good approach. I could work with this._  He smirked visibly as they finished gathering their things together and stood. "Sorry, once again! May I ask for your name? I'm Hermann Muller!" He smiled warmly and held his hand out, a wave of contemplation rolling over as their skin met. He held the pale hand tightly, sure to keep him from moving away, and earning a questioning look, to which he responded with a kiss on the back of the hand.

It was so obvious and impossible to ignore, he knew that it would inspire even the least bit of conversation.  _The physical closeness is sure to bring us emotionally close, yes?_

Quite contrary to his own certainty, the boy became flustered and chopped him over the head, sending him to the ground with his pained groans. He ran off and turned down an alleyway, but Hermann was persistent. He hopped up quickly and scurried toward the ally to follow him, despite the stares the rest of the people had been giving him, since he'd bumped into the shorter one.

Soon, he spotted the white head of hair bobbing up and down as the younger ran off, much slower this time, seeing as he more than likely didn't think that he was being followed. Muller bolted forward and cut him off, preventing him from exiting the ally.

* * *

**Tyki's POV**

The noah watched from the rooftop with dagger eyes as the brunette reconciled flirtatiously with his Shounen.  _His_  Shounen.  _How pathetic_ , he thought.  _Do you honestly think that he'd go for you, before he'd go for me? You of all types of people..._  He took a drag of his cigarette and tossed it onto the ground, before stepping on it and running his hand through his hair.  _That's alright. I only have to wait for them to seperate. Then, I can kill him._ He grinned devilishly.  _Not that I'd make it quick. Hah! A quick death? This scum doesn't deserve to die, in the first place. Maybe I'll hand him to Sheryl with a false story that'll be sure to fire him up._

"Don't touch him just yet, Tyki~", he heard Road say, from behind. He turned to glare at her childish grin.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Touch who?"  _How did she know that I planned on interfering... and why is she here in the first place?_

She giggled slightly before clasping her hands behind her back and crossing her legs, still standing. "I  _know_  what you're planning, Tyki~! Don't think that I don't know you! And so does our Lord Millennium. As well does he know just how important that boy is to our current goal. We can't interfere~!"

He sighed with frustration. "Of course  _that_  kind of person plays a part in all of this." He pulled out his cigarettes and grabbed another, despite having just put one out. "When can I take care of him, then? Can't you at least tell me  _how_  he's necessary? I hate being oblivious and it's really hard to make plans around plans that I don't even know the extent of..."

Her smile broadened and his glare deepened at the sadism he saw in her eyes.

* * *

**Allen's POV**

Allen agreed to allow Hermann to walk him home, though he truly couldn't understand as to why he wanted to and was quite worried as to why he would.  _Is he planning to rob me? He looks nice enough, but who can say what hides within the depths of his heart? Even Tyki, who looks so innocent all the time, is as cold as an ice storm._ He clutched the bag he held in his hand, gritting his teeth at the thought.

The one who walked beside him seemed to notice and moved his back to one arm, using the other to wrap around his shorter friend's shoulders roughly, meanwhile feigning emotional hurt. "Aww! What's with that downcast look of yours?! Could it be that I've upset you, in some way?!"

"N-no! I'm just... thinking about some things...", he stuttered, itching his cheek as they neared a small house. "We're here, though... I guess I should offer that you stay for dinner?"

* * *

**  Hermann's POV **

_Stay?_ He narrowed his eyes slightly before catching himself and jumping back, smiling with a fake brightness at the confused look on that pale yet scarred face before him. "A-ah! Sorry! I have to get to something, so I can't stick around! Thanks for talking to me, though", he laughed, nervously. He turned on his heel and waved back a goodbye before speedily walking off. As soon as he'd gotten out of sight, he swiftly found a payphone and called Headquarters, being sure to have the message passed to Chief Komui and Lvellie that the boy was found and exactly where he'd been staying. 

He smiled while hanging up the phone once the information had been given and sighed out a relieved sigh.  _Finally, that monster's going to get what he deserves._ As he turned to head back, he came face to face with a tall man in a suit. Only once the taller's skin began to bleed grey did he truly understand what was happening and a wave of fear flooded his entire being. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, next chapter won't be about Hermann, I don't think. I kind of feel like I just want to let him go but at the same time he's unfortunately too immersed in the story that it feels as though it may be impossible. I don't know. T o T We'll see! Though, next chapter is when the action begins to get more... actiony? Dunno, but it's mostly about Allen lmao


	13. Murderous Jealousy

**Tyki's POV**

The noah had expected the order to go after Allen directly after the call was made and was both relieved and worried. Knowing the Earl, he knew being caught could lead to torture and/or death. He also knew that he wouldn't defend himself in any way, whatsoever. Despite the fact that he'd been chased by the order on several occasions, the ex-exorcist still would find reasons not to involve himself with them, saying that he wouldn't be so willing to fight them, if he didn't think it would be necessary. And, to him, his own safety isn't something he should worry about.  _Though_ , the noah thought.  _It means progress, that he was willing to defend me, despite having to fight his friends. But was he ready to fight them to the death? And would he still do the same, today? Is the Earl's plan flawed? No... but how could this work in our favor?_

He huffed out a frustrated sigh as he watched the boy politely chatting with the elderly woman and her son, outside of that "Mother"'s house. It had been about two days since the call went through and he was even beginning to wonder if the order planned to take action, at all. This would also cause their plans to be halted, since that had been the Earl's plan, according to Road. The Order was supposed to be called by that human so they would show up and take the boy to be punished for his betrayal. The punishment would likely not be light, so the Earl expected for him to call for the noah's help, in some way that wouldn't be out of character enough for him to hold his tongue. The rest would be up to Tyki and his only job, once the boy was taken, would be to watch over him and be sure he wouldn't be executed.

The young man was about a head taller than the boy and looked to be several years older. Tyki didn't care who he was, though. He'd made it his new routine to kill everyone the shortest man smiled at, who wasn't apart of his life for more than a few hours. Despite the fact that Allen only did so to be polite, the noah couldn't contain his rage at even the slightest possibility that he'd gain some sort of attachment to them - romantic or not. He didn't want any obstacles keeping him from going back to the family.  _Though, he talks to so many people... why does he have to talk to so many people...?_  A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as he let out another sigh.

That crimson hand waved a goodbye to the two guests and he turned to enter the house, leaving them just where the noah felt he could mess with them. He let them walk quite a distance down the dirt road before he caught them, killing the old woman quickly out of sympathy while only nailing the man to the tree with his arm through his chest.  _It would be too hard to watch her die in fear... how could I get any enjoyment out of that?_  As the man wriggled, the pain seemed to intensify and his screams became louder and louder, piercing the noah's eardrums, like daggers of sound. "Like a pig", he mumbled aloud, through his grin. He wrapped his hand around the younger one's heart and, just as he squeezed, he heard a quiet, "Tyki?"

* * *

 

**Allen's POV**

As the young man he'd just conversed with grew lifeless on the end of the noah's arm, the noah's eyes turned toward him and his lips dropped into a slightly irritated frown, as though he'd been frustrated that he'd been caught. Allen clenched his hands into fists and grit his teeth before barking, "What are you doing, Tyki Mikk?!"

The noah dropped the human and smiled innocently, despite the fact that blood coated his lowering, gloved hand. "Oi, Shounen! It's been a bit! How many days has it been? I haven't counted; it's felt like an eternity, without you~!"

"Cut the crap, noah", he shouted, causing Tyki to stiffen visibly and widen his eyes, his frown returning, once more. "Why are you killing these people?! They haven't done anything! In any case, why are you even here? Have you been following me? This can't be a coincidence!"

Tyki smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. "Ah... I've been caught, then." He took off his bloody glove and threw it onto the body of the one he'd killed. "Would you believe me if I said I've been with you this whole time?"

It was his turn to be surprised, this time, and he had to stop and let his mind race, sifting through his entire adventure, outside of the noah's ark. He looked for any sign that the noah had followed him but couldn't see a time when he'd so much as seen anything out of the ordinary.

"Ahh~! It sounds kind of creepy, doesn't it? But I did what I had to do - what I  _have_  to do - to protect you~!"

"Protect... me...?"  _What is he babbling about, so nonchalantly?_

"Oops, you didn't know?" He put a hand on his chin, giving that thoughtful look he fabricated, so perfectly. "Well, I guess I've got to tell you the truth, now, of how I've killed nearly everyone you've come into contact with, shouldn't I?"

"Huh?" He took a step back as he processed this, taking into a painful amount of consideration that he'd interacted with quite a few people, throughout his journey.

"Yeah~, I should really get ahold of my jealousy, now, shouldn't I?" He shrugged with an outgoing posture, though it only proved how insincere his implied apology was, infuriating Allen beyond and beyond.

As the ex-exorcist invoked his anti-akuma weapon, the dark matter within him began to stir painfully, yet, somehow, gleefully. The noah of pleasure responded by calling upon his tease and smiling devilishly. "Shall we continue where we left off, boy?"


	14. A Noah? Jealous?

* * *

**Tyki's POV**

"Shall we continue where we left off, boy?"

Without hesitation or warning, Allen lunged at him, sword of exorcism aimed at his chest and ready to run through his scar he'd gotten from their last fight. The noah drew a cloud of tease and hopped up to the trees, hoping to gain some distance and lure him to an area with more civilians. Not only was he hoping that a street fight would lead the order to them, but he sincerely looked forward to the excitement it would cause.

The boy struggled to cut down the butterflies and eventually decided upon destroying them all at once with his crown cloak. After they vanished, leaving sight for him to catch the noah hopping away, he followed quickly and Tyki picked up his pace, being sure to only move as fast as the ex-exorcist. Somehow, though, this only seemed to irritate the shortest one more and the boy lunged forward, sword outstretched, growling the noah of pleasure's name, catching him off guard with the sudden change in pace.

A shadow covered his eyes as realization settled into the pit of his stomach.  _Why is he so angry? Over these humans? Civilians, at that!_ He drew a sharp mass of dark matter and, on an irritated impulse, aimed to drill it into Allen chest, but used it to shield himself when the boy drew his sword high above his head, ready to slice him in half.

He smiled teasingly as he made his way onto a busy street, relieved that his opponent was too furious to notice. "Oh, my~. It's almost as if you actually  _care_  about those two."

Allen only growled in response as he frantically and repeatedly slashed his sword at the noah, causing the civilians around them to run screaming in terror.

"It's funny, isn't it? Since you only knew them for - what? A day?" He kept up his smile, though he allowed his true feelings to leak through, very slightly. "Yet you've known me for a little over a year and I'm the one you're fighting! Isn't that funny?"

They both froze and looked at each other dumbly. Allen seemed to have a mixture of confusion and annoyance on his face while the noah was confused as to why he'd stopped and whether he would gradually or abruptly go back to being determined to chop his head off. After a second or two of them staring at each other, the noah tilted his head slightly and allowed his own confusion to show on his face.

"Tyki", he asked, casually.

He spoke as though they'd just taken a stroll through the park and he planned to ask him a deep yet innocent question, making a nervous bead of sweat roll down Tyki's temple as he responded with a simple, "Hm?"

"Could it be that you really  _are_  jealous...?"

It took him a moment to realize what had been asked before his face grew red and he retrieved the dark matter, scratching his cheek with embarrassment and smiling sheepishly. "Hah... That isn't that important, is it?"

When he received no response, he looked up and caught the boy's pale face reddening before a shadow covered his eyes. He drew his sword, readying himself to annihilate the noah with his following blow. "I guess not, since I have to do this either way."

* * *

**Allen's POV**

Throughout his time away from the noah family, he didn't miss them even slightly. Well, maybe Road and her childish antics, which always slightly put him into a better mood. But mainly, he missed Tyki, making it that much more unbearable once he'd realized that this noah had been killing his new friends behind his back.  _Out of jealous? How ridiculous! He's a noah - he did it because he wanted to hurt somebody and cause any sort of chaos._

Throughout their fight he couldn't help but desperately wish that they hadn't been fighting. Just like the first two times they fought, he thought to himself,  _"If only this was a game of cards and not a battle where one of us might die."_

As he recognized the genuine tone of jealousy hidden in the noah's sarcasm, he paused, surprising even the noah. "Could it be that you really  _are_  jealous", he asked, his heart skipping a beat as the noah's face began to redden.  _Could there be a peaceful end to this? Could we just talk?_

"Hah... That isn't that important, is it", Tyki asked, scratching his cheek and smiling like he'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The love he felt for the taller man at that moment bled through his own cheeks, reddening them until his entire face felt like it was on fire.

Only then did he remember, through his overwhelming emotions, that he'd resolved to hate Tyki, no matter how much he couldn't seem to do so.  _I can't be close to him - he's a noah. I can't go back; I can't side with my comrades' enemy!_  "I guess not", he began, allowing his features to dull and his heart to grow stoney, in preparation for what may be deemed a heartless act.  _I can't allow my emotions to control me..._  "Since I have to do this either way."

He lunged at the noah, bringing his sword high above his head, ready to exorcise him completely with one swipe. To his surprise, the noah didn't move. He didn't back down, though, and summoned all of his strength to cut Tyki's noah down the middle.  _There's no turning back, now._

* * *

**Tyki's POV**

The noah's scalp was inches away from that sword of innocence when the order's men caught the ex-exorcist in a net, bringing him to the ground roughly and somehow restraining his innocence. The boy retracted his innocence upon reaching the stoney ground but kept a glare pointed towards the noah.  _Hopefully they didn't see my dark matter, then I can avoid confrontation. The Earl will be mad enough, if he finds out that I interacted with the boy..._

He sighed out his relief that the Earl's plan might soon be fulfilled and Allen would soon be going  _home_. As he turned to leave and the boy's ex-comrades cuffed his hands, Tyki smiled and muttered just loud enough for his Shounen to hear him, yet feigning innocence in the hopes that the others wouldn't catch on to his true intentions, "I guess it's time to go, then. I'll be ready to take you home, if you ever decide to return~, don't forget!"

A tick of irritation formed on the boy's forehead as he barked, "As if! I will never go back!"

He smirked and pulled out a cigarette as he walked off and past the staring civilians, disappearing out of sight and mumbling to himself, "We'll see about that,  _Shounen_."


	15. Where Is Home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. Sorry that my writing isn't good anymore xD Wait, was it ever? It was bad in the beginning, then got to be okay, and now it's just like... forced and uninspired. Like tbh I've lately just been writing and uploading the chapters at the last minute because I'm so busy that I don't even have much time to think up a plot, let alone write. And I like to write when I'm alone... which I don't get enough of, lately. xD But I don't want to leave this on a cliffhanger or something ~ soooo, I'm gonna try to keep forcing it until I get to the next stopping point. Mainly, I just feel weird for having such a lengthy story, LOL.

 

* * *

**Allen's POV**

"Don't stop", Mana's voice echoed. "Keep walking."

As his eyes began to open, he recognized a familiar scene playing out before him. Mana sat at the edge of a fountain while Allen drew their special characters in the snow, writing out a small song using those letters. It warmed Allen's heart and he felt at peace, somehow knowing full-well that this was merely a memory; a dream that he would soon have to wake up to. He didn't allow himself to think too much though, for fear that he would wake from this bliss. With that, he allowed himself to dream of it and of many more times that he and Mana were together. Soon, his mind skipped over the times that he'd spent with the exorcists and, then, the times that he'd spent with the noah.

With every good moment that he saw, it was accompanied by a bad one. The memory of when Mana decided upon taking him in siding with the time he killed the older man, receiving the "I love you, Allen" as his last memory of his adoptive father. The times that he and Kanda had actually gotten along coupled with the fight he'd had with him, not too long ago. The time when he and Tyki had played a friendly game of cards next to the time Tyki put a hole in his heart using the tease. It was as if his sub-concious was feeling lonely and only in a deep sleep was he able to truely come to terms with it.

 _I can't afford to be lonely_ , he thought to himself.  _I'm an exorcist! 'Don't stop; keep walking - that's what I promised Mana I would do._

"But was it Mana who said this", an unknown voice echoed, throughout his now-quiet mind.

"Who is that", he asked, warily.

In response, he received no answer, only more good times mixed with bad times. And although those bad times were disastrous and heart-wrenching, he couldn't help but feel warm inside, having re-experienced those good times for the last time. He knew full-well that he would never feel that feeling of having a family again, or even that feeling of being loved by anyone. Yet, he chose to relish it, savouring every ounce of joy and love and storing them in his heart, for when he'd wake to a lonely room.

* * *

**Allen's POV**

Drops of water plopping on top of the bridge of his nose woke him from his dream rather rudely and, as he came to recognize his surroundings, he wished desperately that he could return to that dream, never to wake again. He was seated in a stone chair, built into the ground, and his arms were behind his back and shackled to the ground, leaving only enough room to very slightly wriggle his arms - the same going for his feet. As he attempted to invoke his innocence, he felt a painful shock rush through his body, causing him to put away his innocence as the pain grew to be agonizing.

He bit his lip with frustration as he recalled being taken by the order and losing conciousness just after the noah had disappeared into the crowd of glaring civilians.  _Does that idiot really intend to let me die here? I could've used some help, out there!_ He huffed out a frustrated sigh before stiffening and widening his eyes. Though the room was dim, vacant, and nearly empty, he was surprised that he hadn't noticed the table of tools which sat across from him.  _Are they planning to interrogate me? Torture me for information on the Noah? Do they really see me as the enemy... as an ally of the noah? If they would've only asked, I would've told them everything... yet they feel the need to torture me?_

He lowered his head and allowed his face to sag, his hair falling to wrap around his head, like a thick, white veil.  _Yeah... I DID fight the exorcists, didn't I? I even planned to fight Kanda and Lavi... who wouldn't suspect me?_  Blood trailed down his chin as he bit deeper into his lip.  _I'm such an idiot._

A door opening caught his attention and he looked up, only to be met with Lvellie's sadistic smile, which he hated to no end.

"Allen Walker...", the inspector grinned. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

**Tyki's POV**

Tyki sat in his arm chair by the fire place - book in one hand, his head in the other - groaning out his frustration dramatically. "Hm", Road asked, looking up at him from the floor, where she played with her doll. "What's wrong, Tyki? You're not normally this obnoxious."

The insult just barely flew over his head as he lowered his book, which he hadn't read a word of, throughout the past hour. Things had gone back to the way they were before the exorcist had stayed with them, yet he felt so... dull, like "normal" was bugging the boy and not what they'd been doing for years, in their free time at the ark. It truely tempted him to go back to his human friends for some entertainment, though, not only was his "white" form unstable, since the exorcism, but he somehow didn't even feel as though he wanted to do  _that_. Which happened to be something that he felt could not be explained, no matter what theories might be proposed. "Things are so boring without that boy around... How much longer do we have to wait?"

She giggled childishly. "Tyki~! It's only been a few days - aren't you normally the more patient one, here?"

He pouted and slumped in his chair, dropping the book onto the floor. "Hmm ~ not when it comes to him. He's supposed to make life interesting, not disappear just when things get a little challenging. It's no fun, sitting and waiting for him to come back." He nearly rolled out of the chair with how low he was slouching. "Say, Road, you never answered my question..."

Her smiled seemed to stretch from ear to ear, catching Tyki's attention so he'd serious up, a bit. "Who knows ~, maybe a week, maybe a month."

_That long...?_


	16. Truly Home

**Allen's POV**

Each day, someone would come in to interrogate Allen, asking for information on the Noah, the Earl, and the Heart. At some point, they'd resorted to violence, having a random crow do the dirty work while Lvellie stood back with that smug, triumphant look on his face. After each session, he'd passed out from all of the pain and blood loss, allowing himself to find even the slightest amount of rest.

During those times, the crows and Lvellie, surprisingly, left him alone, allowing him time to heal enough not to die during the next session. He wasn't quite sure as to how many days had passed, since the room he'd been in had no access to sunlight, but it felt as though weeks or, even, months had passed.

The now-familiar sound of the door creaking opened sent a tremor of fear throughout his body, causing him to clench his teeth in a way that might possibly cause permanent damage, should it last. To his surprise, Lavi, Lenalee, Kanda, Chaoji, and Link filed in. Unsure of whether to be relieved or hurt that they seemed to be confused and Chaoji was alive, he stared at them in silence, waiting to hear an explanation.

While Lenalee and Link continued to look at him with confusion and worry, Kanda and Chaoji glared at him as though they were certain he'd already become the fourteenth. Meanwhile, Lavi smiled innocently, though Allen immediately recognized that his hammer wasn't on his belt and his hands were behind his back, more than likely holding the missing hammer with caution.  _So they all think I'm a noah, then? Even you, Lavi...? And I killed Chaoji, didn't I? How is he alive and well, right now?_

"Yo, Allen", Lavi sang, casually. "How's it going?"

His blood began to boil as he attempted to restrain himself from cussing out his closest "friend". "Is that  _really_  what you came to ask me, Lavi?"

A nervous drop of sweat rolled down the red-head's temple. "Ah... not exactly." He lifted one hand, being careful to keep the hand holding the hammer behind his back, as though he truly thought Allen didn't know. "Actually, we came to ask you-"

"Have you really sided with the noah", Lenalee nearly cried, tears now running down her face.

"Side with them?" The ex-exorcist smiled a fake yet broad smile in the hopes that he might soothe his ex-comrades nerves. "Where did you get that impression?"

Chaoji clenched his hands into fists and glared daggers at the prisoner. "Don't even try to lie, noah! We  _know_  that you're one of them!"

He opened his mouth to protest but was immediately cut off by Kanda, who stepped forward and unsheathed Mugen, pointing it's tip at the boy's neck in an obvious attempt at threatening him. "Don't get me wrong - I hate that babbling wimp - but I can't help but agree with him, right now. If you're as faithful to the order as you claim to be, why haven't you come back? And why did you defend that noah, when we tried taking him out?"

He lowered his head as he barely mumbled loud enough for his provocative words to echo throughout the nearly-empty room. "Come to think of it, Tyki has been more of a friend to me than any of you all. Why should I deny it? He's the only one that isn't out for my life, right now."

The samurai's eyes narrowed into thin, furious slits as he raised his sword above their heads and drew downward, ready to slice the fourteenth's vessel directly in half. The sitting prey only closed his eyes tightly, readying himself for the blow he knew he would receive. When his caution was met with nothing but the chains on his arms and legs falling and hitting the ground, he opened his eyes and looked about, catching immediate sight of the noah before him.

He stood fearlessly, holding Kanda's sword-wielding arm up by one hand, preventing the sword from making contact with anything as they glared into eachother's eyes, seeming to be having a silent war of mere eye-contact.

"Ty...ki...?" Just as he stood, he was thrown to the ground by Link's binding spell just before Lenalee stood directly ontop of him, preventing him from standing, should he break through the crow's powers.

The noah huffed a frustrated breath out and threw Kanda by his wrist and into the wall, using his dark matter to help him do so quickly and effectively. He turned on his heal and headed straight for Lenalee, dark matter out and ready, and Lavi trailing closely behind. "Stop", the ex-exorcist screeched, through the pain of all of the wounds in his back re-opening under the weight of the female exorcist.

Though his plea was weak, the entire room seemed to stop the instant that word was given and they all looked down at him, as though wondering who he was talking to and why he felt as though his words would make a difference. And Allen acknowledged that his words were nothing but a prisoner's cry, but he hoped he could at least stall for time, in the hopes that an opening might appear for him and Tyki to escape.

The noah looked uncharacteristically frustrated as he clicked his tongue and withdrew his dark matter, moving closer and scowling at the one on the floor. "Huh? You  _still_  haven't decided, yet? Even through all of this, you're still faithful to the ones who want so desperately to kill you? You've been-"

"This is my family!" He clenched his hands into fists, unsure of whether or not he even truly felt that way, anymore, but unwilling to allow the noah to kill them.

A shadow covered his features as a dark ark door opened and he began walking toward it, pulling out his cigarettes and a match. "Fine, then die here - see if I care."

As Lenalee stepped off and the other exorcists began to assemble, Link stopped the spell and Allen sprung forward, wrapping his arms around the unsuspecting noah and pushing them into the ark door just before it closed on the exorcists, as they attempted to follow.

They fell into Road's room and Allen yelled out, before the girl could comment on the fact that their runaway was back, "I change my mind! I'll stay with you guys!"

The noah of pleasure lay crushed under the younger's weight as he grumbled with a hint of annoyance on the tip of his tongue, "You're so indecisive, boy. It's really getting to be annoying."

The tattered one laughed, faintly, unsure of how to respond but glad that things seemed to be over, for the moment. Glad to be home.  _Truely_  home.

* * *

**Cross' POV**

He sat at the Earl's bedside as the old man seemed to sleep, though the human knew otherwise. "Wake up. It's done", he began. "I told them about the fourteenth's whereabouts and monitored his condition. Tyki Mikk brought him back to the ark - and, don't worry, it was Allen's decision."

The eldest noah sat up comfortably, wearing an innocent-looking smile on his face as he groggily said, with that oddly endearing tone he gave whenever Neah would be involved, "Ah, good~! Now, we can begin phase 2: aiding Neah in taking over that brat's body." As he stood up, stretched out his arms, and wobbled over to his wardrobe, he spoke as though Neah was his God, rather than his deceased and reincarnated evil twin brother.  _An insane man's state of mind, no doubt_. "Ah~, Neah! I'm coming, I'm coming ~!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand, that's how I'm going to end this. It's already 35 chapters into the entire series, so far! Gosh, I write a lot! Anywhose, I hope this was fairly decent, despite starting off rocky and ending lengthy and boring (at least in my opinion. I prefer more action but I always get stuck up on the suspense! xD
> 
> I forgot to mention that Chaoji is actually alive, so I just kind of popped it in here and there. Good thing I'm coming out with another little "sequel" LOL. But I'm gonna be really honest here - I forgot he was dead because I hadn't brought the exorcists up in so many chapters. xD BUT FORGET WHAT YOU JUST READ! READ THIS AS THOUGH YOU BELIEVED IT TO BE A SURPRISE. "WHAAATTT?! CHAOJI'S ACTUALLY ALIVE?! :O WHAT AN ODD TURN OF EVENTS!"


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